Magnetic separator



Nov. l, 1932.

F. HARRISy MAGNETIC s'EPARAToR Filed 0G13. 22. 1930 INVENTOR Fred Harris BY MG ATTORN EYS wlTNEssEs Y Patented Nov. 1, 1932 man? YATE' kFRED HARRIS, or ANCHORAGE, rniiarroayor ALASKA MAGNETIC SEPARATQR Application iled October 22,l 1930. SerialNo. 490,508.

This invention relates to magnetic separators, the obiect being to provide a magnetic separator to be used in mining so as to readily separate small particles of magnetic materialV l and other material from the sand and waste matter.

Another object of the invention is to pro* vide4 a magnetic separator to be used in gold fields in Alaska and elsewhere for separating magnetic material fromsand as the sand passes over a flume so as to produce a roughcned bed for catching the gold as it moves along.. l Y

A further obil ect of the invention is to take iine material'fr'om a screen fiume and subject the sand to the action of a magnetic field as the sand is moved by water over the field so as tov attract the magnetic material from the sand and thereby permit the heavier gold and other vparticles lto readily fall and be caught by the rifdes in the fiume before the free sand and other waste matter passes out to a dump.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a top plan View of a magnetic separator disclosing an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 1 on the line 2 2; Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on the line 3-43;

Figure 4 is a-view similar to Figure -3 but showing the parts at right angles to the way they are illustrated in Figure 3. Referring to the y*accompanyingdrawing by numerals, 1 indicates a flume adapted to utilize 'fine material commonly known as black sand, said line material being supplied by the screen `flume 2. The screen flume 2 may be of any desired length and size and is adapted to receive the coarse material togeth-er with a supply of water. As the water moves the coarse material along, the line sand, small metal particles, fine quantities of gold and other material will pass through the various screens 3 arranged in the flume 2, and from screens 3 this iine material or black sand, as it is known, will pass through one or more pipes 4 into the entrance section 5 of the flume 1.' The entrance section 5 has preferably a smooth bottom so that all the material discharged therein will pass on to the section 6 which carries a number of rilfles 7.

rlhe riflles 7 will catch the large particles of 55 gold and also some of the heavier metals, which the liner particles of gold or. otherV particles of metal will pass along down the flume 1. v Y

As shown in the accompanyingk drawing there are provided platesl 8, 9, 10 and 11 in the flume 1, said plates being metallic and each carrying a number of upstanding metal bars 12, said metal bars being of iron orv some other magnetic material. Preferably the metal bars 12 are triangular-shaped with one edge facing the upper end of the flume whereby the sandeand water are divided and small eddies are produced which permit the gold and other heavier metals to settle.

ln order to keep the sand loose and thereby give the gold and other kheavier metals a proper chance to settle, water pipes 13 and 14 are arranged in the flume 1 fro-iiiv the upper end of section 15 carrying plate 8 to the 75 lower en d of section 16 carrying ythe plate 11. These pipes, as shown inFigure 3, are perforated atintervals and direct water laterally .into the Hum-e, which water must change direction as it passes down the fiume.

This produces retardation and separation of the sand to further permit Vthe gold and heavier materials to sink.

Pipes 13 and 14 areadapted to receive water fromvpipe 17 which in turn receives it 85 from any suitable supply. Each of the plates 8. isprovided with vone or more magnets 18, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, said magnets beingV held in place in any desired manner as, for'instance, by screws 19 eXtend- 90 ing through plate'S and 'extending into the core of the magnets. 'l Y These magnets are electro-magnets and Vwhen the currentis turned on the magnetic field produced maybe varied according to theamount of material being treated, and also according tothe number of magnetic eldsused. In Figure 1 four magnetic fields are provided, each plate representing a magnetic field. Under some circumstances' less 100 fields are provided, and under others a greater number may be provided. When the current is turned on to the magnets the various plates become magnetiz-ed as well as the posts 12. By the use of the posts 12 there is produced a good magnetic field vsubstantially e over the entire surfaceof pla-tes 8 and consequently all thefmagnetic material in the sand will be drawn towards the posts and towards the plate 8. By reason of the movement of the sand and other particles -the magnetic material will eventually ind itself deposited on plate 8 where it is held somewhat' loosely, although sufficiently to hold. it against moving to any great extent; During the use of the device, after a quantity of y sand has passed through the Hume there will waterand by the passage of thesand. In this way the various riflies catch and holdV the gold and possibly other heavy metals, while the various plates8 and 11 catch and hold the iron and other magnetic material.

' As themagneticmaterial is held by the various plates the waste material as, for instance, small pieces of sand, rise to the top of the flowing water and are moved down- Y wardly and finally discharged'out of the lower vend of the. flume. It will be understood that the water flows with some appreciable force so the sand is continually agitated by thewater in order togive ample opportunity for the magnets to attract magnetic material and to provide, in a certain sense, a free passageway for the vheavier particlesas, for instance,'gold.

After the flume has been operated for a de` sired time the water and sand are stopped and the various rifHes 20, as well as riiile 6, are cleaned. If desired, also, the matter held by the magnets on plates 8v to 11 may be removed. If this is not desired the current to the magnets may be turned oft' and the water started flowing again, whereupon the matter heretofore held by the plates 8 toll, will n be washed down and discharged to the end of the flume, thus providing a clean flume for fthe next operation.. A f i The magnets maybe connected up in any desired manner, but usually a sufficient numthe end magnets by wires 22 vand 23 to a'suit- 'rather lightly the gold may readily work therethrough. The fact that some of the magnetic material is washed away by the water is ofy no consequence where gold is being recovered. Where the magnetic material is the desirable material being recovered the magnetism is raised to its maximum 'so as to catch and hold all possible ,particles of magnetic material as they pass along over the flume.

I claiml ,n

1. A magneticA separator for` separating gold and magnetic material from black sand comprising a flume having a Yplurality of groups of riles, said groups being spaced apart, a metallic plate `forming the bottom ofk said flume between said groups of riies, bars upstanding from said plate, said bars being triangular in cross section. and having one edge facing the flume entrance to divide thel oncoming fluid and.Y produce eddies, means for magnetizing said plates and bars for-attracting magnetic material thereto and producing a rough surface, whereby` sand and gold passing over said rough surface will Y be agitated so that the gold may be vmore easily separated from the sand and lfind its way by gravity against said riiiies, and means extending over said metal Vplate and the riffles for directing water transversely ofthe flume near the bottom thereof for causing the Y black sand to be agitated as it moves downwardly through the fiume.A

2. A magnetic separator for' separating gold and magnetic materials from black sand, said separator comprising a fiume, a plurality of magnetic bars upstanding from the bottom of the flume, said bars being triangular in cross section and having one edge facing the flume entrance'to divide the oncoming fluid andv produceeddies, agroupiof riffles adjacent to said bars, and a water pipe on the bottom of the flume extending longitudinally of the flumeandf having side perforations, said perforations directing water streams laterally of the ilume into said eddies and among saidv rifl'les to produce a turbulence.- a y kFRED HARRIS.

ber are provided tol take up 110 volts, or

whatever voltage is being used in thevicinity ofthe device.As shown'in the accompanying drawing, the-various magnets 18 areV connected in series by suitable wires 21, and

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